Cambria Estate Winery - Jill Russel

Cambria is a women-owned, women-led producer of 100% certified sustainable, estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Santa Maria Valley AVA in Santa Barbara County, California.Founder Barbara Banke was an early champion of the region and established Cambria Winery in 1986. Barbara’s two daughters are co-proprietors of the winery and the namesakes for the two main vineyards, Julia’s Vineyard and Katherine’s Vineyard. A winemaker’s paradise, the estate is situated on a West Coast transverse valley a rare geological feature that funnels in Pacific Ocean breezes and blankets the vines in maritime fog, creating one of California’s longest growing seasons. The ocean influences the soils as well, with seashells and fossils lending a signature Santa Maria spice note to the Pinot Noirs. Winemaker Jill Russell believes that “happy people make great wine” and passionately crafts wines that show the best of the estate and are prized for their texture, harmony, and energy. Jill leads vineyard and cellar crews who have worked at Cambria on average for more than 20 years and whose drive for excellence earned Cambria the title of a Top 100 Winery of 2020 from Wine & Spirits.